Seven Superfoods That Will Keep You Young

The following seven foods are among the most highly nutritious you can consume.

Keep in mind that to get the most out of them, you must first understand the best foods for yournutritional type. Even the healthiest foods aren’t ideal for everyone, so it’s important to know which foods serve your body best.

1. Whey Protein

You may be wondering why the first food on this list is actually a supplement and not a whole food. Great question. The answer is fascinating, if a bit complex.

Whey has been shown to increase your body’s stores of the antioxidant glutathione, or GSH. Glutathione is known to increase the integrity of telomeres. Telomeres are bundles of DNA found in every cell, and they shorten with age.

Stem Cell Information, The National Institutes of Health resource for stem cell research, Appendix C: Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Human Embryonic Germ Cells, http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/2001report/appendixC.asp

Researchers suspect telomeres shorten due to damage by free radicals. Free radicals play a role in DNA mutations, and there is evidence that mutations in your telomeres can cause larger chunks than normal to be lost during cell division.

Low levels of GSH are always found in people with oxidative stress-related diseases like cancer and AIDS. Further, as glutathione levels drop, these patients get sicker.

In November 2009, I had the privilege of attending a gathering of some of the leading anti-aging biologists and experts in the world. In a discussion I sparked about telomere lengthening, we agreed it is, without question, one of the most exciting methods that holds great promise to actually REVERSE aging.

Much of the research is on proprietary chemicals to lengthen telomeres, but I was surprised to learn that there are studies in progress that show increasing glutathione levels will actually provide similar results.

Glutathione is not a compound you can ingest directly. It is manufactured inside your cells from its precursor amino acids, glycine, glutamate and cystine.

But what is really exciting is that you don’t have to take expensive glutathione supplements. I confirmed with some of the leading scientists there that you can actually increase your levels through dietary manipulation.

And guess what the most potent dietary way to increase your glutathione levels happens to be?

Whey protein!

The best way to increase and maintain your GSH levels is to make sure your diet includes foods (such as animal foods and eggs) rich in the sulfur amino acids your cells need to synthesize glutathione.

Whey protein is the easiest and most convenient way to do this. But not just any whey protein will do, it needs to be high quality and very carefully processed from grass fed organic cows to preserve the fragile amino acid precursors. I am so convinced of this research that I take our Miracle Whey protein every morning, typically after my morning exercise program.

2. Raw, Organic Eggs

Eggs are another super food. Research has ended the debate -- there is no link between egg consumption and heart disease.[1]

A single egg contains:

• Nine essential amino acids.

• Six grams of the highest quality protein you can put in your body. Proteins are nutrients that are essential to the building, maintenance and repair of your body tissues such as your skin, internal organs and muscles. They are also the major components of your immune system and hormones.

• Lutein and zeaxanthin (for your eyes).

• Choline for your brain, nervous- and cardiovascular systems.

• Naturally occurring vitamin D.

However, it’s critical to understand that not all eggs are created equal. There is a major nutritional difference between TRUE free-range chicken eggs and commercially farmed eggs.

The USDA defines “free-range” chickens as those with “access to the outside.” “Outside,” however, can be a field or a cement courtyard and has nothing to do with what the chickens eat. Commercially farmed hens are fed corn, soy and cottonseed. True free-range chickens eat a natural, nutrient-dense diet of seeds, green plants, insects and worms.

I recommend you try to get your eggs locally. To find free-range pasture farmers in your area, ask at your health food store or visitwww.eatwild.com or www.localharvest.org.

If you have no choice but to buy your eggs at the grocery store, look for free-range organic. Avoid all omega-3 eggs, as they typically come from hens fed poor quality omega-3 fat sources that are already oxidized.

Eat your eggs raw whenever possible. Allergic reactions to eggs are generally caused by the changes that take place in the cooking process. Eating eggs raw also helps preserve many of the highly perishable nutrients they contain.

Avoiding raw egg yolks is conventional nutritional dogma, as raw egg whites contain a glycoprotein called avidin that is very effective at binding biotin, one of the B vitamins. The concern is that this can lead to a biotin deficiency.

The simple solution is to cook the egg whites, as this completely deactivates the avidin. The problem is that this also impairs the structure of nearly every other protein in the egg. While you will still obtain nutritional benefits from consuming cooked eggs, from a nutritional perspective it would seem far better to consume them uncooked. 

What is important to realize is that there is plenty of biotin in the egg yolk. Egg yolks have one of the highest concentrations of biotin found in nature. So it is likely that you will not have a biotin deficiency if you consume the whole raw egg, yolk and white.

It is also clear, however, that if you only consume raw egg whites, you are nearly guaranteed to develop a biotin deficiency unless you take a biotin supplement.

So to be clear, my advice is that you can safely eat WHOLE raw eggs, from a healthy fresh source. I eat four whole raw eggs each morning with my breakfast. I would strongly advise against eating raw egg whites alone. They simply need to be consumed with the yolks.

3. Leafy Greens

Like eggs, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, turnip greens, collard greens, and romaine lettuce, are great sources of lutein and zeaxanthin. Studies have shown eating foods rich in these antioxidants can significantly reduce your risk of AMD (age-related macular degeneration), as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Leafy greens like spinach and kale are also packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants like beta carotene, vitamin C, and sulforaphane.

Spinach provides folate, which research shows can dramatically improve your short-term memory. Eating folate rich foods may lower your risk for heart disease and cancer by slowing down wear and tear on your DNA.

Spinach has a very high ORAC score. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, which is a measurement of a food’s ability to destroy the free radicals that cause damage in your body. The higher the ORAC score, the better a food is for you.

Naturally grown fresh vegetables are also rich in sun stored energy in the form of minute particles of light called biophotons.

Sunlight is vital to life, and you can actually absorb this sun energy through the food you eat, in addition to absorbing it through your skin.

Every living organism emits biophotons or low-level luminescence. The higher the level of light energy a cell emits, the greater the potential for transfer of that energy to the individual who absorbs it. This light energy manifests as a feeling of well-being and vitality.

Research shows that, in addition to the chemical composition of our food, light energy (biophotons) is also a key factor in its quality. The more biophotons a food is able to store, the more nutritious it is.

Some leafy greens like collard and salad greens and spinach, contain vitamin K1, which is linked to good vascular health[2] , including fewer varicose veins.

Vitamin K1, a fat-soluble vitamin, is also vital for:

• Blood clotting

• Strong bones

• Prevention of heart disease

• Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

• Regulation of your insulin and blood sugar levels

• Treatment of certain cancers, including lung and liver cancer

It is important to realize, though, that the vitamin K in vegetables is vitamin K1. Fermented foods like natto and cheeses also have vitamin K2, which provides even more potent benefits for your bones and reduces the risk of calcification of your arteries.

Whenever possible, buy organic greens. Organic produce has been shown to have higher nutrient-content than conventional fresh produce. On average, conventional produce has only 83 percent of the nutrients of organic produce.

4. Broccoli

Broccoli is another dark green, antioxidant rich vegetable in the cruciferous family, with near miraculous powers of healing and disease prevention.

Broccoli contains the highest amount of isothiocyanates, a cancer-fighting compound, of all the crunchy vegetables. 

Isothiocynates work by turning on cancer-fighting genes and turning off others that feed the disease.

Other vegetables containing isothiocyanate include:

• brussel sprouts

• cauliflower

• cabbage

• arugula

• watercress

• horseradish

Research shows eating cruciferous vegetables can significantly reduce your risk of breast, bladder, lung and prostate cancer.

You don’t need to eat large amounts of these veggies to take advantage of their health benefits, either. Studies have shown men who eat more than one portion of cruciferous vegetables a week are at lower risk of prostate cancer.

One serving of broccoli is about two spears, so just 10 spears a week can make a difference in your health.

5. Blueberries

Blueberries not only taste delicious, they are powerhouses of nutrition, ranking at the very top of the list of fresh fruits and vegetables. They are full of antioxidants which help your body neutralize free radicals, molecules that can harm brain cells and brain function.

A study published by Tufts University showed that anthocyanins in blueberries (the pigments that give them their deep color), appear to combat oxidative stress.[3] Oxidative stress is one of the main causes of aging.

Anthocyanins also aid your brain in the production of dopamine, a chemical that is critical to coordination, memory function, and your mood.

Blueberries, especially grown wild, can give an enormous boost to your health. They can help:

• Reduce your cancer risk

• Reduce cholesterol levels

• Prevent heart disease and stroke

• Protect you from Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases

• Reverse short term memory loss and prevent brain aging

• Relieve symptoms of arthritis

• Fight infection and support your immune system

• Improve urinary tract health

• Improve your vision and the health of your eyes

Blueberries are low in sugar, but it’s still best to eat them in moderation to keep your insulin levels from spiking. And as with all fruits and vegetables, try to buy organic.

Other varieties of berries also have powerful healing and disease-prevention properties. Examples:

• Black raspberries are potent cancer fighters as well, with about three times the amount of antioxidants found in blueberries. These berries can be harder to find than other varieties because they’re grown in smaller quantities. It’s harder still to find them fresh, so you may need to look for them frozen.

• Cherries are rich in queritrin, a flavonoid, and ellagic acid. Both are potent anti-cancer agents.

• Strawberries contain phytonutrients, natural anti-inflammatory agents that also protect your heart and have cancer fighting properties.

• Blackberries contain antioxidants, ellagic acid, and vitamins C and E, all of which may reduce cancer risk and fight chronic disease.

• Cranberries are loaded with polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant. Studies show they may inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and reduce the risk of stomach ulcers and gum disease.

• Acai berries, from Brazil, contain antioxidants with the power to destroy cultured human cancer cells. Amazingly, these berries triggered self-destruction of over 85 percent of leukemia cells tested.

6. Chlorella

Chlorella, a single-celled fresh water algae plant, is often referred to as a near-perfect food.

Its range of health benefits is astounding and includes:

• Boosting your immune system

• Improving your digestion, especially if constipation is a problem

• Enhancing your ability to focus and concentrate

• Increasing your energy levels

• Balancing your body’s pH

• Normalizing your blood sugar and blood pressure

• Reducing your cancer risk

• Even freshening your breath

But arguably the most important property of chlorella is its ability to help rid your body of heavy metal toxins.

Most people are being harmed in some way by heavy metals in their body. If you’ve received a vaccine, had silver fillings in your teeth, or eaten fish, it’s highly likely you have some level of metal poisoning which is compromising your health.

Chlorella plays a particularly crucial role in systemic mercury elimination because the majority of mercury is rid through your stool. Once the mercury burden is lowered from your intestines, mercury from other body tissues will more readily migrate into the intestines -- where chlorella will work to remove it.

Again, as with any supplement, different brands of chlorella will vary widely with regard to overall quality, potency and purity, so make sure you purchase from a reputable source.

7. Garlic, the “Stinking Rose”

The component of garlic, allicin, which causes the familiar strong smell and flavor, is actually an extremely effective antioxidant. As allicin digests in your body it produces sulfenic acid, a compound that reacts faster with dangerous free radicals than any other known compound.

Garlic is also a triple threat against infections due to its antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. It is effective at killing antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including MRSA, as well as fighting yeast infections, viruses and parasites.

Garlic helps relax and enlarge the blood vessels in your body, improving blood flow, especially to your heart.[4] This can help prevent conditions like high blood pressure and life-threatening events such as a heart attack or stroke. Garlic also inhibits the formation of plaques in your arteries, and prevents cholesterol from becoming oxidized, a condition that may contribute to heart disease.

Both garlic and onions can increase your protection against at least five forms of the deadliest types of cancer: breast, colon, ovarian, prostate and esophageal.

It also appears that allicin may be useful as a cancer treatment. When alliinase and alliin (the two components that covert to allicin) were injected into a tumor cell, the reaction not only penetrated the cell but also killed it.

In addition to all those benefits, research also indicates garlic may be useful for controlling weight.

Garlic cloves must be crushed or chopped in order to stimulate the process that converts alliin into the beneficial allicin. Once the garlic is cut, the active compound loses potency rapidly and can disappear completely within about an hour of chopping.

The best way to eat garlic is to take a whole, fresh clove, chop it, smash it or press it, wait a few minutes for the conversion to occur, and then eat it. If you use jarred, powdered, or dried garlic, you won’t get all the benefits fresh garlic has to offer.

It is important to know though that a number of people are allergic to garlic. If you are one of them you should definitely avoid garlic. Actually that is true for any food in this article. It might be the healthiest food in the world, but if your body gives you a signal to avoid it, then it is typically best to honor your body’s wisdom.

The Most Important Way to Slow Aging

Do you know what the number one way to slow aging in your body is? If you’re like most people, you don’t.

Most people don’t understand the importance of optimizing their insulin levels, as insulin is without a doubt THE major accelerant of aging. Fortunately, you can go a long way toward keeping your insulin levels healthy by reducing or eliminating grains and sugars from your diet.

This one crucial step, combined with nutritional typing and the inclusion of nature’s anti-aging miracle foods in your diet, can dramatically improve your health and longevity.

It is also crucial to include a comprehensive exercise program as that is another lifestyle choice that will radically improve the sensitivity of your insulin receptors and help to optimize your insulin levels.

References:

[1] Harvard School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source, Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good

[2] Journal of Vascular Research, Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes in Human Varicose Veins: Involvement of Matrix Gla Protein in Extracellular Matrix Remodeling, 7/20/07

[3] Tufts University e-news, Researchers At Tufts University Report Blueberries May Reverse Memory Loss

[4] Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, A new gaseous signaling molecule emerges: Cardioprotective role of hydrogen sulfide, 11/08/07

The website Green Med Info has assembled a list of studies that found evidence of over 40 conditions that chlorella can help to prevent or ease.

The conditions include:

• Hypertension

• Anemia

• Diabetes

• Acute Stress

• Fibromyalgia

• Liver Cancer

According to one of the studies on the subject:

“Chlorella vulgaris (CV) has been reported to have antioxidant and anticancer properties ... Our study shows that CV has definite chemopreventive effect by inducing apoptosis ... in hepatocarcinogenesis [liver cancer] induced rats”.

By Dr. Mercola

What if consuming a tablespoon or two per day of a simple food could drastically lower your chances of developing cancer, heart disease or stroke, or of contracting a life-threatening virus such as HIV?

Would your interest be piqued?

There is a unique freshwater plant that has been of enormous interest to nutritional scientists over the past decade, and it shows promise for doing all of the above—and then some. It's one of the most nutrient-packed dynamos of the superfood world.

This simple food is spirulina.

I recently posted a report about the radioprotective effects of spirulina. But its health benefits go far beyond that application. But what exactly is spirulina? You may be surprised!

Spirulina: One of Nature's Near-Perfect Foods

Spirulina is similar to sea vegetables such as dulse, kelp, nori, Kombu, arame, and wakame. Along with its cousin chlorella (another one of my favorites), spirulina is a member of the "blue-green" family—but this family is actually not truly algae.

Although you will often hear the term "blue-green algae," spirulina and its kin are actually cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are classified as bacteria because their genetic material is not organized in a membrane-bound nucleus. Unlike other bacteria, they have chlorophyll and use the sun as an energy source, in the way plants and algae do.

Spirulina is primarily produced by two species: Arthrospira platensis and Arthrospira maxima.

One of the special traits of spirulina is its rich protein content—it's 50 to 70 percent protein by weight and contains all of the essential amino acids. Records of the Spanish conquistadors suggest that the Aztecs consumed spirulina as a food source, and the Kanembu people of Central Africa harvested it from what is now called Lake Chad.

Wild spirulina grows in the alkaline lakes of Mexico and on the African continent, although it is commercially grown and harvested all over the world. It reproduces quickly, and because the individual organisms tend to clump together, it's easy to harvest. Commercial production of spirulina is estimated to reach 220,000 tons by the year 2020. Japan is the largest producer of spirulina, as well as the largest consumer.

Spirulina Packs Quite a Nutritional Punch

Spirulina is one of the most nutritious and concentrated food sources on the planet. As a result, it's appearing more frequently all the time in natural foods and beverages, such as green foods and drinks, energy bars and oral supplements.

Spirulina consistently boasts an amazing protein level of 60 percent on average—even better than red meat, which is about 27 percent protein. And spirulina's protein is biologically complete, containing all of the essential amino acids needed for human health. Spirulina also contains a potent array of other beneficial nutrients, including the following:

(For specific concentrations of the above-mentioned nutrients in spirulina, refer to Table 1 in this spirulina report by S. Thomas of Parry Nutraceuticals.) In addition to this rich nutritional blend, spirulina has the following special properties:

• The proteins in spirulina are of a highly digestible type (83 to 90 percent digestible), due to the fact that it does not have cellulose walls, like yeast and chlorella do. Therefore, the net protein utilization (NPU) is high (between 53 and 61 percent) and requires no cooking to increase the bioavailability of its proteins.
• Studies confirm a very high "protein efficiency ratio" (PER) for spirulina, meaning your body will be able to efficiently use these amino acids.
• Gamma-linolenic acid is rarely this high in ANY food and normally has to be synthesized by your body from linoleic acid. GLA is a precursor to important biochemicals such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes, which serve as chemical mediators for inflammatory and immune reactions.
• Spirulina has no fatty acids with uneven carbon numbers and very low-level branched-chain fatty acids—two types of lipids that higher order animals, like you and me, cannot metabolize.
• Spirulina has about the same calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium content as milk, a vitamin E (tocopherol) level comparable to wheat germ, and four times as much vitamin B12 as raw liver!

Research-Based Health Benefits of Spirulina

Now that you have spirulina's nutritional overview, let's take a look at what this unique blue-green cyanobacteria can do for your health. The health benefits of spirulina continue to be widely researched. As a result, there is really no way to cover all of the literature related to its potential benefits because there are so many!  There are scientific studies supporting spirulina's potential usefulness in preventing and/or treating the following health conditions:

As you can see, the health benefits of spirulina are truly far-ranging.  The remainder of this report will focus on how spirulina can address some of the diseases listed in the above table (the ones shown in bold).

Spirulina and Your Eyes

As the population ages, the prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) is on the rise. ARMD is the deterioration of your macula (the region in your eye that controls acute vision), which typically occurs later in life.  ARMD is the leading cause of blindness today.

Your eyes' macular membranes contain several carotenoid pigments called xanthophylls—lutein, zeaxanthin, and possibly astaxanthin, if you're getting it as part of your diet. These special pigments help protect your eyes from damage by slowing down ultraviolet-induced oxidation of lipid membranes, thereby helping prevent degeneration of your macula.

Additionally, xanthophylls may be effective in preventing cataracts. Spirulina provides 3,750 to 6,000 mcg zeaxanthin per serving size (3 grams). Eggs are another excellent source of both lutein and zeaxanthin (200mcg zeaxanthin per yolk). Astaxathin is also another marine based nutrient that is in the carotenoid family and is also a potent preventor of ARMD.

Spirulina and Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is an epidemic in the Western world today. It is really a cluster of related pathologies, including insulin resistance, obesity, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Spirulina has been shown to benefit diabetics in the following ways:

• Reducing systemic inflammation. (Insulin resistance has come to be associated with a state of systemic low-grade inflammation.)
• Favorably altering your lipid profile by reducing serum triglycerides and increasing HDL.
• Improving vasodilation in those who are obese as a result of high fructose diets (which has benefits for diabetics, as well as for those with hypertension and cardiovascular disease).

Spirulina and Your Cardiovascular Health

Diabetes and cardiovascular health are intimately connected, so it's no surprise that spirulina shows great potential for people with cardiovascular disease, in terms of creating better lipid profiles, controlling hypertension, and increasing blood vessel elasticity. Diabetic patients given 2 grams per day of spirulina showed improved glycosylated hemoglobin and better lipid profiles in this 2001 study. And in this study of the Mexican population, 4.5 grams per day of spirulina significantly reduced serum triglyceride levels and total cholesterol, boosted HDL, and reduced blood pressure in test subjects.

It is thought that the lipid action of spirulina may be due to its phycocyanin content, which inhibits pancreatic lipase activity, and this in turn causes higher excretion of triglycerides through your feces.

In one animal study, spirulina prevented hypertension and vasoconstriction in rats fed fructose-rich diets, but rats fed fructose-rich diets without spirulina had those adverse health effects. Hamsters consuming spirulina were protected from developing atherosclerosis inthis 2007 study.

Spirulina and Your Liver

The accumulation of fats in your liver is closely associated with metabolic syndrome and strongly raises your risk for dying from cardiovascular disease. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in North America and notoriously difficult to treat, at least with traditional medical measures.

Animal studies suggest spirulina can protect your liver, probably as a result of its high antioxidant properties and its ability to synthesize or release nitric oxide. Studies show that spirulina does the following for your liver:

• Prevents the buildup of triglycerides in your liver
• Inhibits lipid peroxidation
• Reduces liver inflammation
• Protects your liver from damage by heavy metals, like lead and mercury

Spirulina and Your Brain

The third leading cause of death in the U.S. is stroke. Diets high in antioxidants have been shown to lower your risk for stroke. Two studies (one in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the other in the British Journal of Nutrition) showed that Spirulina reduces platelet aggregation, which plays an important role in vascular diseases by reducing your risk for thromboembolism.

In another study, three antioxidant-rich diets (blueberries, spinach, and spirulina) were compared for their neuroprotective effects. Spirulina was found to have the highest neuroprotective effect, possibly due to its ability to squelch free radicals and reduce inflammation.

And in an Oregon State University study of rats that had induced strokes, the group fed spirulina showed brains lesions that were 75 percent smaller than those in control groups.

Oxidative stress is one major source of inflammation, and in your brain, it can result in loss of dopamine neurons and lead to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. An enzyme complex called NADPH oxidase has been shown to play a role in these diseases, and the phycocyanin in spirulina can suppress NADPH oxidase, lowering your risk for these age-related brain diseases. (I will go into this further in the next section.)

In animal studies, diets enriched with spirulina were found to reverse the inflammation that can lead to diminished neurogenesis (production of new neurons), which is another factor in degenerative diseases of the brain. Bob Capelli, of Cyanotech Corporation said:

"Spirulina has long been associated with immune building and anti-viral properties, eye and brain health and cardiovascular health, but we now see that spirulina also has anti-inflammatory properties through this research on one of the principal constituents in spirulina, phycocyanin. This study isolates the mechanism of action for phycocyanin as an anti-inflammatory."

Let's look a little more at the antioxidant properties of spirulina—in particular, its special pigmented component, phycocyanobilin.

The Spirulina-Bilirubin Connection

Phycocyanobilin contained in spirulina is a close chemical relative of bilirubin. In mammalian cells, phycocyanobilin is converted into phycocyanorubin, a compound nearly identical to bilirubin. Bilirubin is the chemical responsible for the yellow color of bruises, urine, and jaundice and occurs as a breakdown product of your red blood cells (heme). When a newborn baby gets jaundice, he is placed under "bili lights" in the hospital nursery to prevent brain damage (kernicterus), if his bilirubin levels become too high. The lights break down the bilirubin so it can be excreted.

But bilirubin, at appropriate levels, has a strong free radial scavenging effect.

Until recently, scientists were not aware that bilirubin may actually have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and atheroprotective properties—and there is a growing body of scientific and clinical evidence to support this. From an evolutionary/biological perspective, it makes sense that nature would have created a way for your body to break down heme, which can be toxic if it accumulates.

The way bilirubin is thought to provide these health benefits is through its ability to inhibit NADPH oxidase, a metabolic enzyme that is activated in a large number of pathological conditions and generates a great deal of oxidative stress in your body. In fact, NADPH overactivity appears to play a significant roll in a wide range of adverse health conditions, including but not limited to the following:

• Vascular diseases and vascular complications of other diseases (diabetes, kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, etc.)
• Insulin resistance
• Neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
• Many human cancers
• Glaucoma
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Erectile dysfunction

NADPH seems to be a chemical that can be helpful or harmful, depending on how much of it is circulating at the time, so it needs to be carefully regulated by your body. For example, NADPH oxidase plays a key role in helping your immune system fight bacteria and helps your T-cells to function properly.

It follows then that preventing many chronic diseases would require finding a means of inhibiting or modulating NADPH oxidase.

Bilirubin is now believed to assist with this modulating effect.

People with Gilbert Syndrome comprise 5-10% of the population and illustrate this phenomenon very nicely—they are genetically predisposed to chronically elevated levels of unconjugated bilirubin. These individuals, having two to three times as much bilirubin as the rest of us, enjoy a greatly reduced risk for coronary artery disease, hypertension and carotid atherosclerosis, and these protections are thought to be related to their high bilirubin levels.  I happen to be one of those with Gilbert's and did not realize until reviewing the research for this article that my elevated bilirubin levels were actually a major benefit.

Since phycocyanobilin is a very close relative of bilirubin—and spirulina is a great source of phycocyanobilin—spirulina has enormous clinical potential due to its NADPH oxidase inhibiting effect. This is why phycocyanobilin has been the focus of a large amount of research of late. Phycobilin extracts have been shown to inhibit NADPH oxidase activity in human aortic endothelium, aortic smooth muscle, and renal cell cultures. And bilirubin protects against diabetic nephropathy via downregulation of NADPH oxidase in rats.

Concluding Remarks

The scientific evidence for spirulina's health benefits is abundant, frequently showing remarkable clinical results. And spirulina's safety is equally impressive! Rodents show no ill effects when fed diets very high in Spirulina. And remember, it was a major component of the Aztec diet.

Spirulina is even good for your pet (be he dog, cat, bird, fish or reptile) promoting a strong immune system, a healthy coat, heart and joint health, and even fresher breath—which is why I now offer SpiruGreen Superfood for Pets. It appears this is a near-perfect food for everyone in your family—one more natural way to take charge of your health.

Sources: